CNAM renewal sparks debate on merging Italian art academies with universities

Renato Barilli criticizes the renewal of Italy's Consiglio Nazionale per l'alta formazione Artistica e Musicale (CNAM) by the Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca, arguing that such intermediary bodies are ineffective. He recalls his own past experience on a similar council, which failed due to opposition from musicologists. Barilli advocates for fully merging art academies with universities, citing the successful integration of architecture schools into universities nearly a century ago, which led to growth and doubled programs in Milan. He believes visual arts academies would benefit from aligning with architecture departments, focusing on professional fields like graphic design, comics, and decorative arts rather than traditional painting and sculpture. Barilli predicts musicologists will again obstruct progress due to medieval practices like early childhood piano training, which he deems servitude. He suggests either isolating music studies or allowing visual arts to join university departments. The article was published in Artribune Magazine #67.